A 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil, named “Stan,” made history at Christie’s auction last night, selling for an astonishing $31.8 million. The final bid, secured after an intense bidding war between phone buyers in New York and London, came in nearly four times the initial high estimate of $8 million. This sale marked a new benchmark for dinosaur fossils, surpassing the previous record of $8.36 million set in 1997 for a similar T. Rex specimen.
Stan was the grand finale of Christie’s 20th Century Evening Sale, which featured a diverse range of works spanning post-war, contemporary, and modern art, as well as Impressionist pieces. The total haul for the evening reached $340.9 million, including the buyer’s premium, with an impressive 84% of lots selling by lot and 96% by value. This strong result follows the success of Christie’s post-war and contemporary sale last November, which brought in $325 million.
Christie’s CEO Guillaume Cerutti expressed satisfaction with the results, emphasizing the importance of flexibility and innovation in the current art market. He noted the significance of blending different categories—Impressionist and modern art with post-war and contemporary works—culminating in the “thrilling finale” of Stan’s sale.
Another highlight of the auction was Cy Twombly’s Untitled (Bolsena) from 1969, which led the sale with a final price of $38.7 million, including fees. Other key works included Mark Rothko’s Untitled (1967), a striking piece with magenta and black blocks against a red background, which fetched $31.3 million. Picasso’s Femme dans un fauteuil (1941), a portrait of his muse Dora Maar, sold for $29.5 million. Paul Cézanne’s Nature morte avec pot au lait, melon et sucrier set a new auction record for a work on paper by the artist, bringing in $28.6 million.
Jackson Pollock’s Red Composition (1946), an important early piece from the artist’s transition to drip painting, fetched $13 million. This painting, once owned by the influential dealer Peggy Guggenheim, marked a significant moment in Pollock’s artistic evolution, showcasing his freedom from traditional brushwork.
The auction, streamed live from the Rockefeller Center saleroom, attracted over 280,000 viewers, a record number for Christie’s. Alex Rotter, head of the Impressionist & Modern and Post-War & Contemporary Art departments, noted that the sale saw active participation from buyers in 25 countries, with American bidders making up 70% of the total. The auction’s dramatic presentation, featuring split screens and live commentary, added to the excitement and theatrical flair of the event.
This sale also reflects a shift in Christie’s approach to its calendar, with the usual mid-season October sale split into two parts this fall. The second half will take place in late November or early December, reflecting the changing dynamics of the art market.
